My Girl

So I hold her. And I smell her. She has a unique smell, one I’d recognize anywhere. And it might sound silly, but I’m sniffing her fur because that’s the Dog Way. It’s how they love.

April 23, 2018

The veterinary emergency room is slow today. A few cats. A few dogs. And I wish we weren’t here.

Ellie Mae, my bloodhound, is not well. She is at my feet. She doesn’t want to move. I can tell she’s in pain.

I can’t stand seeing a dog in pain.

On the floor beside her is another sick dog. An elderly golden retriever named Bart. Old Bart is a giant with a white face and brown eyes. He’s a sweet boy.

His owner is an elderly woman. She is crying—head in hands. I understand that Bart has come to the end of the road. Decisions were made.

The old woman is petting him. “Good boy, Bart,” she says. “Good boy.”

The vet tech calls Bart’s name. He can’t stand on his own legs, he’s too weak. It takes a few people to lift him. I can tell he’s embarrassed by this. Who ever said dogs don’t have pride?

They walk Bart to the Back Room.

I hate this place.

The doctor says Ellie Mae is in bad shape. There is a lot of blood in her stools, she’s running a fever. She won’t eat. I offered her Virginia ham this morning, she didn’t want it. Hell must be frozen over.

This is the animal who once stole a pork tenderloin from my neighbor’s open grill. She ate the tin foil and everything.

“This is serious,” says the doctor. “I won’t lie…”

Serious. I cried some. I didn’t want Ellie to see me. So I forced a straight face.

Long ago, Ellie took her first camping trip with me. She was young. She was all legs, ears, and hair—just like me.

She slept in my bed. She ate what I ate. She even went to the public showers with me. You should’ve seen the looks we got when we came waltzing out of the bathhouse.

Ellie and I went fishing together. Well, I went fishing; she went swimming. That day, she kept pace beside me. No leash. I’ve only had one dog who could follow me off-leash.

And on that sunny day long ago, I buried my face in the rolls of her young fur. I told her I would love her forever. And I certainly will.

This is my girl. She is my forever-friend. She will be with me in the Great Beyond. She’ll steal pork tenderloin while I get fitted for my halo.

The doctor tells me it’s pancreatitis. He says it’s serious, but treatable. I don’t know what this means, but at least Ellie has a chance.

He’s going to keep her overnight. He’s putting her on enough medicine to sink a fourteen-foot bass boat.

Ellie tries to follow me out the door. She doesn’t understand why she can’t be with me.

So I hold her. And I smell her. She has a unique smell, one I’d recognize anywhere. And it might sound silly, but I’m sniffing her fur because that’s the Dog Way. It’s how they love.

They breathe you in. They memorize you, and they never forget you.

Tonight, she will sleep alone. I won’t hear her snoring beside me. And in the morning, she won’t be around to wake me with a cold nose. When I make coffee, she won’t be sitting by her food bowl.

So I’m holding her, talking to her. She can’t understand my words, but she knows what I mean.

“I love you,” I say. “So much.”

She pants.

The woman leads Ellie into a cold kennel and hooks her to an IV drip. And I’m wondering how it happened, how a dog became my world.

I guess, I’m asking for your prayers. Not just prayers for Ellie, but for the old woman who visited this place with a golden retriever, then left alone.

Dear Sean, I know that feeling of smelling your dogs fur, that unique smell that belongs only to your baby. I’m so sorry you will miss it tonight. Yes, pancreatitis is serious but it is treatable. Love her. Kiss her. My baby Sophie was in Bart’s position just one month ago. I still cry for her. Ellie Mae will be in your bed soon. And this summer, stealing roasts off grills just like old times! Meantime kiss her nose often in that cone. Or better yet ~ maybe put one on too just so she knows you are willing to feel her pain. 🤷‍♀️ 🙏🙏🐶🐶. ~ May your best friend be with you soon

I am remembering an old tomcat who, when he was dying of liver failure,
I asked the vet if a transplant would work. And the donor I was considering was me. Get well, Miss Ellie Mae. And rest in peace, Bart….and the Lord grant peace to the lady you left behind.

Oh, my heart. I’m a new reader – I stumbled on a post yesterday, then spent hours getting lost in your stories. Barkley, my golden retriever mix/rescue dog, has his head on my knee as I type. So I’m sending love and good healing thoughts for you and Ellie Mae, and shedding tears for Bart’s mom. He was no doubt, a good boy.

I’m so happy you stumbled upon Sean’s post. I saw a Facebook share that hooked me and I’m so thankful. I tell many of my friends, family and strangers about him…some listen and some don’t…their loss if they don’t!

Sean, I’ve become so addicted to your stories. I haven’t read anything you’ve written that I didn’t really like. Somehow you manage to project your writing in such a way as that it seems like you are one on one with the reader. Sometimes you’re comical, and sometimes you produce a tearjerker like tonight. I too love animals and am touched by the innocent and helpless. Children are an especially weak spot in my heart. Keep up the good work sir. Hopefully I’ll get to meet you one day somewhere in the Dothan area.

Prayers for the lady who lost her dog today. My heart broke when our Goldens died. Could not stop crying for days. Love both of them still and know they will be chasing tennis balls in heaven and when (and if) I show up they will both run to sit in my lap.

I am rubbing the head of a 15-year-old black lab that has more lumps than a bowl of chicken dumpling soup. Her toes started to turn white before her muzzle. Maggie’s teeth are little stubs from retrieving anything she could, including rocks. She sensed when my son was about to have anxiety attacks, and lay next to him until they passed. She still leaps in the air to catch her frisbee, but we retrieve less and she naps more. I try not to think about when she is no longer with me. We raised three kids together. She is my heart.

Ah, Sean.
You make me cry almost every morning. Sometimes crying with a wry smile. Sometimes a gut wrenching, heart tending, ugly cry.
Today’s cry is a bad ugly cry.
As a grown up( if I can be called one), I’ve lost 2 fur babies. I like dogs but cats love me. My beloved Chunk died in 2012. He was my fat black cat that loved me like I gave birth to him. I had him for 7 years. Our love lasted longer than my first marriage. Now my second marriage….it is gonna last longer.
First of 2018, my only girl kitty almost died. Titi is her name. Titi is short for Two Ton. She got tremendously fat after she got fixed. Then the other cats got a viral upper respiratory-itis.
All 3 boys recovered. TiTi got it last. And she got sick. Real sick. Like 5 thousand dollars sick. Had to leave her at the emergency vet. It about killed me.
She was in a oxygen cage for several days. I could only visit once because of work. My husband went everyday. He took video. Her little face…oh my heart.
We couldn’t touch her, She could hear is, see us and cried and cried to go home.
It is torture. I am so so sorry about your puppy. I prayed for Ellie Mae. And you.
TiTi is sleeping on my belly right now. I hope your pup is home and farting in her sleep soonest.

Praying for Ellie Mae, for you and Jamie. Praying for Bart and his fur mom. I lost my Cisco on Good Friday of this year. This 3 weeks and 2 days are hard.
I know that you must be so worried and the fact that Ellie Mae doesn’t understand why you went away without her hurts you but for her it double hurts.
Healing vibes to Ellie Mae and you and Jamie as well because our fur babies are precious to us and what hurts them hurts us too.
Be I am sending kisses to Ellie Mae and Hugs to you and Jamie. XOXoXo’s….. Beth

My son took his best friend to the vet a couple of weeks ago. Gus had to stay, he had become anemic. He was a sick boy. Had transfusions and it seemed he might get better. Didn’t happen and my son cried when he got the call. So did I. When your child, regardless of age, hurts, you hurt. They cry, you cry. I cried when our daughter called to say Bama had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I cried when my Dingo left too soon and unnecessarily. In our family our dogs are family. And we cry over their leaving.

Many prayers for Bart’s mom and you, Jamie and Ellie Mae. When my Golden, Oliver, passed it was much like the scene you described with Bart’s mom. My heart breaks for her just as it did then. Prayers that Ellie Mae comes home soon and is snoring beside you just as my fur baby now is doing. Dogs are the best part of this crazy world.

Prayers to Ellie Mae. I know the pain of losing a four-legged family member. My wife and I cried for months, yes, months, when our good girl died. That’s been two years ago. The eyes still get misty when I look out my front door and see her grave site. I didn’t know dogs could get cancer.

Oh Sean, no doubt you have many prayers going up on behalf of your your sweet Ellie Mae, mine included. And for your tender heart too. I hope she’s feeling better today and when you get her home, she will chow down on some of that ham.

I lost my 17 year old girl in late February and it was HORRIBLE. But when we love them, we don’t want to see them suffer. Bart is now out of pain and romping around at the Rainbow Bridge, waiting on his mama. Ellie Mae has all our prayers and love pointed at her. And at you & your wife. Get well soon, Miss Ellie Mae, your people need you. ❤

Your post today hit me hard. Eleven months ago today, we had to put our smart, sweet, funny, impatient Bama to sleep, and it still hurts. We miss him so much. I have already prayed for Ellie Mae to get better and be back home with you and Janie, and I’ve prayed for Bart’s mom.

My eyes are so full of tears, I can’t see to write this. Our dogs, we have a 9 year old Collie, Opie, become a much loved member of our families. They love us unconditionally. Yes, I will pray for your Ellie May to recover from her pancreatitis and be home snoring by your bed soon. A dog snoring by the bed is the best white noise ever!!

Prayers for Ellie Mae, for you, for Bart and his owner. These visits to the vet are the most awful…..I know, my husband and I’ve made them three times. The last was this coming August two years ago. After we returned to our car alone and devastated, we made the decision that we just couldn’t do that trip again. A few months later, we made the decision to start dog sitting in our community, and it’s wonderful. Having these furry friends when their owners are traveling fills the void, fills the home with a lot of fun an love, and like grandparents, we can send them home with their parents without the expense of vet bills and food. Most of these furry friends come to think of our home as their home away from home. We’ll always love and miss our three previous furry children, but know they will be waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Sean, your real life experiences touch me, but this touched deep in my soul. I’m a dog person, or should I say I’m a dog’s person. I so understand your love for Ellie Mae and the way your heart hurts taking her to the vet. I’ll pray she does really well. And I’ll pray for the sweet lady who left the vet’s office alone. I’ve been in her position many times, too, and have shed a bucket of tears over dogs who would not be going home with me. I have a senior cocker spaniel now and know I’ll have to face that day with her at some point. But not now. So she gets all the loving I can give her. After all, that’s all they want. Say hi to Jamie for me.

You but most of all, Ellie May has my prayers. Now I shall weep for my own Maddie and soon my Rascal. Our companions hold always a special place for us, and we, for them. I think I am going to lay with Rascal today, inhale his scent, memorize him. Over these last few years, I have laughed at Ellie Mays antics, loved her as I do my own in a odd sort of way. I hold her close too.

Oh my Sean, my prayers for Ellie Mae, for you and Bart and his mom. Like you I truly love dogs. My last baby, Toby, a Beagle, went to wait for me in December. I miss him so much. My children want let me have another baby. I know I can’t take care of one now. I can hardly take care of myself. For the first time in my life I am dogless. I really don’t know what to do with myself. I miss the smell of him. The wet kisses. The adoring eyes. The messes he made. Taking care of him. My dog.

If you want to know how much God loves you look into the face of your dog.

I’ve been stressing this morning because tomorrow I have to leave my little dog at the groomer all day instead of the normal half day I usually do. I always try to pick her up as soon as they’re finished because being apart is so very hard on her.

But your post as pulled me back to my reality. She’s healthy & happy & loved so very much. I wasn’t allowed to have pets as a child. I got my first one a few years after I was married, a gift from my husband. So far I’ve loved & lost four dogs with each time getting a little harder to say goodbye. We have our pet cemetery in our little wood by the house.

So today I’ll hug the three dogs I still have to love a little tighter. We’ll pray for Ellie Mae to heal & for Bart’s sweet lady to find peace & new love.

Tears as I read this and think of Phil the Wonder Dog’s last visit to the vet. I have her collar in a zip lock bag and I sniff it every now and then.keep us posted on Ellie Mae…. lifting Ellie, Bart and my Phil Dog’s names up.

I pray, then I read you, before my feet hit the floor every morning. I do this because I wake with a million anxious thoughts going through my head. When I read you, it puts joy in my head and heart. I like to start the day that way; even now as I cry for the joy and moments spent with our pets and the pain and hurt when they have to go. My prayer…..more years for Ellie Mae, peace and comfort for Bart’s love. And I’m grateful for you.

Oh,Sean, I’ve made that same visit to the vet’s office. My heart goes out to you. There is no other love like the unconditional love we share with our animal friends and family. Please let us know how Ellie Mae is doing. Will pray special prayers for you two and Bart’s mom too. I’m curious to know if the above is your own wonderful illustration that says it all. Love & prayers………

Sean, my beloved baby, Peppy le Pew, had a severe bout of pancreatitis a few years ago. He spent a week at an emergency hospital. About the third day, the vet said, we’d like to do a “plasma transfer” which will be $300 more, but we have had great results with it since the other meds aren’t helping much. IT WORKED!! It was a remarkable turnaround! It still took a few more days before he was well enough to come home, but we said if we ever had another dog who got pancreatitis, we would insist on the plasma transfer immediately. Your pup is in my prayers.🙏🐾❤️

Please, our Sweet Merciful Lord, please help Ellie Mae as well as my babies Shyla & Ladybug & the woman with the golden retriever – please help her heart to heal but also send her another baby that desperately needs her love that will help her heart to heal. Please help Ellie Mae to heal and please hear all of us that have fallen in love with Ellie Mae – please hear our prayers !

Sean, prayers for Ellie and for you, I think Caleb H says it best, our animal’s are the family that loves us best so it is with broken hearts we let them when the time comes. I pray Ellies time is not yet.

Thank you, Sean, for so eloquently putting into words what so many of us have experienced. My heart breaks for Bart’s mom, as I have been there with both my beloved boys in the past 2 years. And my heart aches for you and your wife – and for Ellie Mae. It is such a struggle to be apart – especially when they don’t feel their best. Many prayers for you, Ellie, and her medical staff. And endless prayers for those left behind.

Prayers for Ellie and for you! I don’t have a dog right now but my brother’s dog (my ‘nephew’ named Griff) is partly mine. If they say, “You want to go to Lulu’s?” he goes to the door and waits. He loves for me to scratch his behind and play tug or war with him. When he visits he goes to ‘his place” to find his toy or blanket. He’s family. Like Ellie Mae, he’s sick- has a tumor that is probably malignant (we are awaiting pathology). It will require amputation and chemo. I have cried a river since we found out- I can’t help it. I will have Ellie Mae on my prayer list until she recovers. I know you love her and I love you!

Scruffy is 13, a rescue, diabetic and my absolute heart. Scared us with the same thing last spring. I thought my world would end but praise God it didn’t. She was a very sick girl for a while, day trips to Barry Vet for iv’s, meds, special food fed by spoon, a lot of love and a lot of prayers. We survived. She is having a morning at Shaggy to Chic Spa today, getting even more beautiful. Love and prayers for all of you.

I am praying for you and your owner, Ellie Mae. I pray that she can be well again and that y’all will have many more days together. By the way, I’m proud that you don’t need a leash as Ellie Mae takes you down life’s roads. My heart is with you and Ellie.

I hope Ellie is home with you by now and feeling much better. My sweet white-faced 10 year old Golden retriever Lucy has had pancreatitis.Very painful and scary but she came through it and I pray Ellie will too. I’ve also been the woman who left alone. I pray for Bart’s owner to be comforted. We love them so.

Prayers going up for Ellie Mae! You should have more good years left with her, but you can never, NEVER give her treats again. It’s hard, but one bite of Virginia Ham and she’ll be right back where she is today. It’s dry dog food, and only dog food, for Ellie Mae from this point forward. May y’all have many fine adventures in the years ahead….

Prayers for Ellie that she will be healthy and be with you much longer. I also pray for the lady that lost her fur baby. May she be comforted by the fact she loved him
well and he had a good life. I have lost my share and still miss them. I have finally decided I would like to have a small fur baby someday. God bless

Prayers for Ellie Mae and for Bart’s momma. Keep the faith – I’ve had two dogs who contracted severe pancreatitis and both pulled through just fine. Ellie Mae might just have to lay off the tenderloin for awhile.

My prayers for you and for Ellie! She certainly doesn’t understand that she can’t follow you as you leave but, as you know, will be so happy when you return!
My prayers for Bart’s momma too! I know she is having a tough time right now!

Prayers for Ellie! I hope those IV meds work! Prayers for Bart’s mom….It is SO TOUGH! People who love animals know the hard times are gonna come, but we all live in denial for as LONG AS WE CAN. I’m grandma to a 14 yr. old pit bull (Tenchi) who appears to have dementia….I’m pretty much his care-giver day in/day out. It ain’t easy, but he gave all of us 14 years of joy & love. It’s the least I can do for him.

When our beloved animals are sick, we realize what is really important, and those other cares, such as money, etc. are trivial. It’s true, when we and those we love have our health, we have everything. I so hope Ellie Mae gets better. Best of luck to your family.

Sean,
We’ve had to send two of our precious dogs on to their better lives, and it was heart wrenching. However, most recently I was able to bring my formerly VERY sick pup home after treatment, and he’s back to acting like a puppy instead of the 10-year-old dog he is. Treatment is a wonderful thing, and I’m praying Ellie Mae’s treatments are as resoundingly successful as Max’s was.

It’s expensive though, Sean. Every day I am blessed by the words you choose to share with us. May I return the favor and share your vet bill? It would be a blessing to me to help if you need it.

I am sobbing as I read this. I’m so glad Ellie Mae has a chance to get better. But the thing with Bart takes me back 46 years to the exact same thing happening with our family’s 14 year old German Shepherd. I grew up with him. My fiancé (now husband of 45 years) comforted me as I grieved for him. Dogs just have a way of working themselves into your heart and staying there forever. No one should ever say “it’s just a dog”. Will continue praying for y’all.

My heart aches for you… I’m very sorry you’re going through this and it is heartbreaking the other lady lost her dearest friend. I never wanted a dog, but we found a 5 month old wild pup on the side of the road several years ago. I decided to work with him until he trusted me and the rest is history. He is so smart, goofy and happy–and he only has eyes for his momma who saved him. Unfortunately, he developed a lot of health problems and we almost had to make the decision to put him to sleep–I just couldn’t bear that, so we gave him one more chance and thankfully, he seems to have stabilized. He has brought a smile to my face everyday since my brother passed away–I think that’s why God gave him to me when he did. (He is also laughing at me by making Galen white and having half his hair fall out. Smh.) I understand the bond you have and the horrible strain and worry this puts you under. I wish Ellie Mae and your family well. That love will last for a lifetime and into the beyond, for sure–and it’s worth it.

My heart goes out to you and the lady you mentioned. I had to make that painful decision for one of my “fur babies” a little over a year ago and I still tear up every time I think of her or see a dog that reminds me of her. I hope your dog will be able to be treated in order to have some more time left with you, but I can tell you if you have to make that terrible decision one day, you will know when the time is right. I held Missy in my arms until she took her very last breath, all the while gently rubbing her on the back and telling her I loved her. God will give you the strength if that time comes. I am thankful He allows us to retain the sweet memories of our beloved pets.

Prayers for sweet Ellie May and her Daddy and Mom! Ongoing prayers for her to return to you safe and more sound. There is a lot of comfort in the fact she has a giz-illion people praying for her in one of your longest comment sections ever!! Prayers for Bart and Mom. And since no one has said it yet;There is the reason dog is God spelled backwards… Much love to you, Sean.

Sean, I feel your pain. I just put down our 14 year old cat a week ago after 3+ months of comfort care for kidney failure. I cried for days both before and after but have no regrets and am thankful I spared him an agonizing death, which was probably only days away. I’ve had pets all my life and have walked this painful path before. I’m not lying— it stinks. It hurts. It smears shirt sleeves and empties a few Kleenex boxes. I also have 2 golden retrievers @ home. I wish we could have all our fur babies forever but that’s not how it works and it’s a waste of time and emotion asking “why.” It’s devastating when we lose our fur babies but oh, what joy (and then some…) they bring to a chapter in our lives. And if we’re really lucky, God blesses us with many chapters of fur babies. Hugs to you and Ellie Mae. One of my goldens is also named Ellie Mae. Hang in there and keep focusing on all the happy times, as you do so well in your blog. Please know you have the empathy of many readers that are blessed to read your daily blog. 🙏🏼

Prayers and thoughts for Bart’s mom and dad. We had to say goodbye to two of our old girls a couple of weeks ago. It is never easy, even when it is the right thing to do.They, like Bart, could barely walk so we had the doc come out to the back of our van. After sharing a burger, they peacefully left this earth.

Ellie May – I hope you recover quickly. Our hound is prone to pancreatitis, I can relate to the vet visit and the worry. One thing that has helped her, NaturVet Digestive Enzymes plus Pre & Probiotics. Knock on wood her luck will continue, but since she has been taking that she has not had another bout. Good luck – you and Ellie May will be in my prayers today.

Thanks again my friend Sean for jerking on my heart chain and hitting a soft spot. Our rescue dog Petey came into our lives after seeing him dodging in and out of traffic close to the hospital downtown where I was going through daily diagnoses, education and treatment of diabetes. I coaxed him into my car one day after he had narrowly missed traffic at a busy intersection.
After knocking on doors, canvassing businesses and stapling signs to power poles I realized he was a runaway from God knows where.
That was verified after I brought him home and he darted at every chance. I put a tag in his collar and received numerous phone calls from a wide area from people who had found Petey. Everyone loves Petey. I was advised to have tge surgical removal of the reason he was “searching for love in all the wrong places”. It worked and he was officially domesticated.
He has also become a best friend, not only to me but to my cat-loving wife. He has substituted his passion for the opposite sex from natural instinct to true love.
Petey is getting older. You can se it in his eyes, loss of the ability to jump up in the car, bed and climb stairs. He sleeps more.
The day is coming where he will join Bart and other best friends.
God puts them here fir a reason . Just wish He had given them more years.
The truth is, Petey rescued me during a very low part of my life…….

Dear merciful Father in Heaven. I’m heartfully asking you to comfort Ellie while she in the hospital. Please heal her Pancreas. Send that warm healing love only your touch can give. Assure Ellie Mae’s Mom and Dad you have her in your care. Give them that Faith . Amen.

I’ve been where you are. Too many times. But there will be more. I can’t imagine life without a dog. I feel your pain and I wish I could help you through it. I’m praying Ellie comes home soon! And I’m praying Bart’s mom finds comfort in the memmories of her baby boy.

Sean, I will say a prayer for Ellie Mae tonight, and tomorrow night and every night until I hear she is OK. I lost a sweet wonderful Walker Coon hound several years ago. Gracie Mae Walker showed up on our doorstep at ten months old and was with us for five years. You know how big and clumbsy coon hounds are, well Gracie Mae thought she was a lap dog and could never understand why this grandmother could not manage her on my lap. She was loving and fiercly loyal and protective of me and I loved her back equally. She initially chewed things, being pup and all. She ate my husbands best fishing poles, the pull rope for his boat motor, the shutters from the front windows and so many other things. But we loved her so much. We were devastated when the Vet gave us a diagnosis of advanced lymphoma and had to make the decision to send her home to God. She was far too big to sit on the exam table, so I sat with her in my lap on the floor of the exam room while the Vet gave her the shots an peaceful release to cross the Rainbow Bridge. I sat holding her for the longest time until my legs became numb from her weight. I waited for the longest and shortest time for the Vet to come back and help remove her from my embrace and cried all the way home. For the remainder of the day, I felt like the life had been sucked from me. We miss her so, so much and because of that, I can relate so well to what you’re feeling about Ellie Mae. I wish for God’s healing for her and that she wil be your friend and companion a little while longer.

Prayers for Bart’s mom. I lost Cokey in October but still can’t think of her without crying. We have big, black, curly Bear and our gray rabbit Bobby, but we miss Cokey the spaniel mix, Tess the Sheltie, Goldie and Bunny the fuzzy lops, and Mr. Foo the spotted dwarf bunny. Heaven had better be a big place. I hope Ellie Mae will come back to you and stay for many a year.

I come from a different world. when Vets were for farm animals, Animals that made life for humans better by their work and gifts, i.e. milk.
Pets were loved no less than today, many people do not believe that. But they were. When they were too sick, and they were suffering. A dad or grandpa would explain to the child, “Bingo is suffering, she is in great pain. she is an old dog and ready for dog heaven.” The loved pet was taken off and their life ended. There were no injections or what ever is used now. Folks could not afford it. I received the first talk from my dad thru tears when I was 7.

I sure understand the love of a dog. One mixed and one Spaniel. Both of them loved to death.

May the Lord comfort you and give you strength and may He heal your beloved Ellie. I also pray the sweet elderly woman who lost Bart will have dreams of him and know that God is keeping him safe for her till she gets to the other side.
When my beloved Dougal (a Scottie) died of progressive kidney failure in 2012 at age 14 and 8 months, I had a headstone made for him by a gal on Etsy who inscribed it with one of my all-time favorite bible verses:
“All creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.”
Romans 8:21
As much as I look forward to reconnecting with friends and family in heaven, I can’t wait to see all the wonderful cats and dogs Jesus has given me the privilege of loving while here on this earth. Take courage, the Lord is with you and Ellie.

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Sean Dietrich

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, and novelist, known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, The Tallahassee Democrat, Good Grit, South Magazine, Alabama Living, the Birmingham News, Thom Magazine, The Mobile Press Register, and he has authored seven books.